Daily Readings - Wed Feb 13 2019
Genesis
4This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created. When the LORD God made the earth and the heavens-5and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground,6but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground-7the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.8Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed.9And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground-trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.15The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.16And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;17but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."
Mark
14Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, "Listen to me, everyone, and understand this.15Nothing outside a man can make him 'unclean' by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him 'unclean.'"16Verse omitted from the New International Version17After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable.18"Are you so dull?" he asked. "Don't you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him 'unclean'?19For it doesn't go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body." (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods "clean.")20He went on: "What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean.'21For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,22greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.23All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.'"
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the nature of humanity, creation, and the source of sin. In the first reading from Genesis, we hear the story of the creation of humanity and the Garden of Eden. God forms man from the earth and places him in a paradise filled with beauty and abundance. The tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil stand at the center, symbolizing the gift of life and the choice between obedience and disobedience. This passage reminds us that we are created in God’s image, called to care for creation, and given the freedom to choose between good and evil.
In the Gospel, Jesus shifts our focus from external purity to the inner heart. He teaches that it is not what enters from outside that defiles a person, but rather what comes out from within. Jesus lists the evils that flow from the human heart—such as greed, deceit, and murder—emphasizing that true defilement comes from our own sinful choices. This teaching challenges us to look inward, to examine our thoughts, desires, and actions, and to recognize that the root of sin lies within us.
These readings call us to live with integrity and self-awareness. Just as Adam and Eve were given the responsibility to care for the Garden, we too are called to tend to our own hearts. Let us ask ourselves: What are the “trees” in our lives—those choices and desires—that either lead us closer to God or away from Him? May we cultivate hearts of love, compassion, and honesty, so that the fruits of our lives may reflect the purity and grace of God’s creation.